Psychiatrie Bulletin ( 1990), 14,626-630 Correspondence Evaluating treatment outcomes

There is evidence from both research and clinical studies which stresses the importance of evaluating treatment outcomes, possibly through the measure ment of social role functioning. We report a proposal to apply these research findings in a brief instrument to measure role performance, requiring a minimum time to complete. Social role performance as an outcome takes into account the major impact which psychiatric illness has on the sufferer as well as on those family and community members who have close or regular con tact with the patient. It is meaningful when used in conjunction with other assessments of treatment out come, e.g. the level of symptomatology, and should not be seen as an alternative single measure o